Unlikely Love
by InvisibleInkling
Summary: As Hermione Granger enters her seventh year at Hogwarts, the most unlikely thing in the world happens! Even SHE doesn't understand how such a thing could be.....
1. Chapters 1 to 5

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger was preparing to board the Hogwarts Express for the lengthy train ride to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the beginning of her next year. Hermione, always so outwardly put-together, so seemingly mentally and emotionally sound, was actually disconcerted by the bustle of the students boarding the train in an excited mob. She took a steadying breath, and stood, people-watching as the mob-like "line" ahead of her moved steadily towards their magical means of transport.

Draco Malfoy stood confidently some ways ahead of her in the group. She glanced at his profile fleetingly, but then couldn't help but linger. He was clothed in brand new, emerald green robes, and a shirt and tie. He wore on his face the smug smirk that he always carried, and as she focused on his face, she couldn't help noticing his absurdly attractive features. He had matured and grown into his features over the summer, as had many of the boys in her year, but his face was beautifully proportioned and shapely. She paused to behold his deep, mercury silver grey eyes. Though she couldn't see every detail of his face from a distance, she saw his platinum blonde hair, side-swept by the slight wind. It had grown a bit, she could see, if it had laid flat, it would have reached just past his chin, and almost to his slight but muscular shoulders. She found herself wishing she could reach out and stroke that silky hair, entwine her fingers in it.

Without knowingly doing so, she took a few steps forward, towards him. She noticed the plains of his face, chiseled but not hard. She imagined that the alabaster pale skin of his face would be very smooth, and soft. His cheeks held a slightly pink flush from the unseasonal chill in the September air. His nose was perfectly shaped and fit his face beautifully. And the soft pink lips…ooh the lips. Suddenly she wished almost to the point of pain that she was in the position to be able to kiss those glorious lips. She had always known Draco was handsome, but this year, this year her attraction had blossomed into lust. She scolded herself for thinking such things, of a Slytherin, no less, of _Draco Malfoy! _

_Hermione Jean Granger! What has gotten into you!_

She took a deep, cleansing breath, attempting to clear her head. By this time, she was seated on the train with Harry and Ron in close proximity. She began to listen to their chatter about Quidditch, desperate for a distraction from her raging feelings. She was not accustomed to_ feeling_ this much, it was new to her, all her life her focus had been academics. She had no idea what to do, what to think.

_Besides_, she thought, I_ have no chance with him of all people!_

Hermione Granger, for once in her life, couldn't have been more wrong.

Chapter 2

By halfway through the train ride, Hermione had given up trying not to think about Draco. And Harry and Ron had stopped trying to interact with her on any level, seeing as she was so distracted. With what, they were clueless. _And poor Ron would probably die if he found out, _she thought guiltily.

Before she knew what was going on about her, the train had arrived at its only destination. The students filed out excitedly, first years squealing and whispering with nervous anticipation. Once off the train, Hermione spotted Draco, flanked by his pigheaded sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle. He was heading in their direction. Hermione felt her nerves mounting, but these nerves were of a new kind, she didn't know what to make of them.

Draco strode up to them. He stopped and nodded to Harry, Ron, and herself;

"Potter. Weasel. Granger. "

"Malfoy." said Harry coldly.

"Ferret face." said Ron, nodding.

"Hello Draco." Hermione said, not as harshly as she thought. She blushed lightly. Harry and Ron glanced sideways at her. They had noticed. Draco's smirk deepened, and he nodded to her smugly, and walked away, flanked still by his minions. All the students entered the Entrance Hall and the professors began their introductory lecture to the First Years on school rules, House points, et cetera, et cetera….Hermione tuned out, something she never, did, and blatantly stared at Draco from across the room for the next ten minutes.

Oblivious, and appalled at her own behavior, she was snapped out of her reverie by Ron, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"Hello? Mione? See something you like over there?" She blushed scarlet, cursing the involuntary reaction. Ron rolled his eyes, but did not question her further. She followed them into the Great Hall, where the enchanted celling sparkled with a thousand stars. The four long House tables were set up as always, and the Sorting began. After every last giggling first year had been placed, Dumbledore stood up, extended his hands and stated "Let the feast begin!"

Plates filled with roast beef, biscuits, Yorkshire pudding, and steamed vegetables, and goblets filled with thick pumpkin juice. The feast commenced, but mostly Hermione Granger's mind was on the image of Draco's face in her head. She glanced over at the Slytherin house table. Draco was quietly talking to Crabbe and Goyle, and his mates, and they were laughing. This seemed out of character for Draco and the secretive, smug Slytherins. But the sight of him laughing was fascinating. Although she could not hear over the din of the excited students, she imagined the sound would be like music, bells maybe. Or smooth and deep, like warm cider. She longed to hear him laugh quietly in her ear as they kissed, just so she could hear the sound of it. _Honestly?, _she thought to herself, _What are you thinking?_

Hermione glanced down at her plate of food, and blushed, she had barely touched her dinner in her distraction with the devilish blonde Slytherin. She also quickly came to the realization that Ron and Harry were not even attempting to converse with her, they were chattering happily with Fred and George. She doubted she had seemed "there" to them at all, she found that she became extremely immersed in her thoughts when they involved Draco. _How rude they must think me!_ Hermione thought with great embarrassment and guilt. She tried to eat a small portion of her dinner, but thoughts of Draco continued to invade her mind. She looked down at her plate as the feast ended, and was mortified to discover that her plate had barely changed its appearance since they had entered the Great Hall.

Later, in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione sat in one of the large, comfortable armchairs in front of the roaring fire. She pondered her new lust. _If I continue to think the way I did in the Great Hall tonight, my schoolwork is sure to be affected! _Determined to clear and stimulate her mind, she pulled out her favorite volume: Hogwarts: A History. She opened randomly to a page, desperate for a distraction. With the first years' still excited chatter as background noise, she attempted to read her favorite book. For the first time in Hermione Grangers life, this seemed an impossible task.

Chapter 3

"Hey Hermione! What the bloody hell was up with you at the feast last night?" said Ron. He made a dreamy face and batted his eyelashes in the opposite direction, no doubt imitating her daydreaming pose that he saw too much of last night at dinner, "If I didn't know you much better, I'd say you suddenly fancied Malfoy, and thus had gone out of your bloody mind!" He laughed, as did Harry, to the point of gripping their sides and stomachs. Hermione found it slightly insulting that they found her romantic interests so comical. Even if they _were_ joking. But she was embarrassed to admit that what they were saying was true, so she blushed and buried her face in her Transfiguration book. She caught Harry and Ron exchanging a quizzical look, and then returning to their homework and Quidditch-related chatter.

But it was true. As she had laid in her elegant four-poster bed in the girls' dormitory late last night. she couldn't deny that it was most definitely true. She fancied Draco Malfoy. No, she more than fancied him. She lusted after him, she wanted him. But satisfaction seemed so impossible, so far away, what with him being a Death Eater and all. And this time, she was certain. Ron, and probably Harry, would definitely die of shock if they ever found out.

* * *

Walking in the halls on the way to Ancient Runes class the next morning, Hermione spotted Draco Malfoy striding towards her. Her stomach jumped. She blushed violently for no reason when he stopped in front of her. He smirked, and a smug smile played on his full lips. _Those lips_…she thought. She mentally scolded herself and as quickly as possible regained her composure.

"Hello Draco" she said, still staring, having failed miserably at the aforementioned task of appearing composed.

"Hello Granger" he said, still smugly smiling. "See something you like?" His voice was smooth…and sexy.

She blushed at his use of Ron's term from the Entry Hall.

"I'll take that as a yes." Draco said and his smirk, impossibly, deepened.

"I suppose you're not so horrid looking yourself, Granger. I see your front teeth have finally caught up with the rest of your face, and your hair isn't so much of a bush as it was in past years." He was sarcastic, and he smirked and cocked his head as always, but behind his cold grey eyes hid something Hermione couldn't place.

"Why thank you Draco, what a lovely compliment." she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. But inside her heart sang, her stomach churned, and her mind ran wild. She felt ridiculous. But she couldn't help feeling as if he didn't find her quite as repulsive as she'd thought. This gave her her first and only glimmer of hope. She was abruptly interrupted by:

"Well, Granger, see you around the dungeons, and close your mouth please, it is most unbecoming."

She blushed scarlet yet again and closed her mouth as she was told, she hadn't realized she had been been so forgone as to having it hang open at the sight of him. All through Ancient Runes and Potions, she analyzed every word, every movement, every small facial expression of their encounter, looking for some evidence that the beautiful boy didn't hate her.

Chapter 4

Hermione's parents were taking a second honeymoon, so she would be staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. To her immense happiness, so would Draco, despite having Malfoy Manor at his mercy. . She didn't understand his logic in the least, but she was ecstatic all the same. Her joy peaked one afternoon in the Great Hall when Draco had not been watching his step on the way out, and he walked carelessly right into her. They stood face to face, a foot away. He looked up, and saw the levitating mistletoe in the air directly above them. He looked back to Hermione, his eyes seemed to burn for a fraction of a second, and he recovered his facade and said "Well, Granger, if we have to do this, let's at least not make it unpleasant, shall we?" And before she could protest, or even process what was about to happen, he pressed his full lips to her mouth with force. _Almost like he means it_, she thought. Then she lost all ability to think at all. He did mean it, she could feel that. He had lost his hard facade and was gripping her face and kissing her with real feeling, passion. He moved his hands from her face and into her hair, She did the same to him, twining her fingers in his silvery blonde locks as she had longed to do months ago.

His tongue gently forced her mouth open, and she began breathing faster, gasping. He explored her mouth with his tongue gently, not forcibly, and she loved the way he tasted. She felt his teeth graze her bottom lip and shivered, and he held her tighter, feeling her chill, and kissed her with more passion, forcing her to respond. She did not know what to do, so she clasped her arms around the small of his back and kissed back with all that was in her. Her head was swimming with pleasure as they broke apart, both gasping and blushing….Draco Malfoy, blushing, there was a sight, his beautiful alabaster skin flushed with pink. By this time there were no other students standing around them, Hermione wondered how long they had kissed for. It felt like hours, and still it hadn't been enough to satisfy her.

"Did we just snog?" she asked breathlessly, dizzy.

"Looks like it, Granger, hope you enjoyed yourself." he said, regaining his composure much faster than her.

"I did" she gasped, then blushed at her own comment.

Still gasping slightly, she looked up into his liquid mercury eyes and was suddenly aware that her mouth was hanging open again. But she was caught up in his eyes, and couldn't force her brain to tell her facial muscles what to do. This time, Draco touched her chin gently and closed her mouth for her, and left a soft but lovely kiss tingling on her lips and walked away.

* * *

For a while after their first kiss, Draco was very subtle towards Hermione. He figured that , now that she knew how he felt, and she felt the same, they didn't need to flaunt their attraction all over the school. After the initial humiliation of the abrupt stop of conversation when she entered a room for a week after the mistletoe incident, she began to enjoy Draco's little signs of affection. Grabbing her hand for a second in passing in the corridors, or brushing her waist, which she loved, it made her shiver with happiness.

Then, after about a month of this, they could't restrain themselves anymore. They began walking together around school grounds, sometimes holding hands. Crabbe and Goyle got on Hermione's nerves until Draco ordered them away when they were together. One evening in early spring, after classes, they were walking quietly by the lake. Hermione was in bliss. Draco's strong arm held her at her waist, and they talked.

"Hermione, love, what changed?"

"What?"

"What changed? Last year, you hated my guts, would've happily bashed my head in with a Bludger. And now-- he kissed her lightly to illustrate his point-- "I can do that and all you do is swoon!" He smiled and brushed her blushing cheeks with the back of his hand.

He was right. He made her swoon with his delicious kisses on a daily basis. But what was she supposed to say? _Yeah, sure, you're a Death Eater and all, you'd like to see my best friends dead, but you're incredibly sexy, let's snog. _

Yeah, that was it, definitely…..

"I don't know Draco. I honestly don't know what happened. I feel drawn to you now. When I am around you, I feel safe. And I honestly don't believe you're as evil as others think you are. To use a horrible cliche, I see it in your eyes."

"You're right, I'm not evil." he chuckled "And I'm not a Death Eater, just so you know. I've grown tired of old Voldy's games, my father, he's a different story maybe, but I'm not evil."

"Good." She laughed and kissed him lovingly. Their passion mounted, and they fell back together on the grass next to the lake. Draco shifted his weight on top of her, so as not to hurt her. As he moved against her, she panted and gasped.

"Calm down, love, you're becoming tense."

"Are you mad?! How can I be calm when you kiss me like that?"

"Good point". He laughed huskily and pressed his mouth on hers again, coaxing her lips open with his tongue just as he had done under the mistletoe. She felt heat rise to her face in a wave of passion. He felt it too, and kissed her harder. She moaned in pleasure and pushed him away reluctantly.

"Stop, love" she said, gasping, "someone will find us and we'll get detention and--"

"No, you stop", Draco said forcefully, his silver grey eyes burned "No one is going to catch us, everyone is in the common rooms at this hour, doing_ homework_ " he sneered the word "don't you think this is so much more fun?" She was abruptly reminded of all the schoolwork that was going undone, and it worried her. He leaned down and kissed her again, building on a small kiss until both their mouths were open and moving in harmony with each other. Hermione pushed him away again, afraid of being persuaded by his delicious mouth.

"Well, of course, but--"

"Quiet love" Draco purred in her ear "Let me touch you, let me kiss you, it's all that I want is to make you happy."

"You do make me happy, Draco, immensely happy, just being with you makes me ecstatic."

"Great, then this must make you bubble over with happiness, right?" He kissed softly and lovingly up and down her neck and over her jaw. He wrapped his long, strong arms around her waist and pulled her up into a sitting position. He gently rolled onto his back and shifted her so that she lay comfortably on his chest, all without breaking his endless stream of kisses. Her breathing accelerated, she couldn't help it, he was so good at what he did. Merlin, will the blushes ever stop? she thought, as another wave of passionate heat graced her features. Draco pulled back, and Hermione found herself straining closer to him, wanting more. He smiled at her hunger, stroked her cheek, and pushed a tendril of her brown hair behind her ear.

"You're beautiful when you blush like that, please don't ever stop," he said, reading her mind.

"It's embarrassing, I wish I could." she said, and the subject of her blushes made her blush deeper.

"Hmm, please don't. Ever," he purred as he brought her head gently against his chest, and became silent. She listened to his heartbeat and he kissed her temple softly. After five minutes, it was beginning to get dark, and she really did not want to get into trouble.

"Draco, love, i can't believe I'm saying this after that, but I'm feeling cold. Can we please go inside now?"

Draco sighed happily and easily lifted her into his arms like a child, and he kissed her tenderly as he walked her back to the school building. Once inside, they said goodnight and parted with a kiss, and went to their dormitories for the night.

Chapter 5

Hermione now not only kept her grades up (as distracting as Draco was capable of being, he was brilliant, and they often studied together, not that Hermione needed it!) but she was also happy. Extremely happy. Physically, visibly content. That is until one night in the Gryffindor common room, when not many others sat by the fire. Hermione, Harry and Ron were doing their homework together for the first time in two weeks, and as Ron and Hermione squabbled over the quality of one of his essays, Ron blurted out:

"Fine, if my work, and Harry's for that matter, is so bloody terrible compared to that Death Eater love of yours, why don't you just go write the bloody essay with HIM! Not that you've been around much to criticize and nitpick lately!" Harry looked up from his Herbology sketches, and stood next to Ron. Ron's ears and face flushed red with anger and he said in a strained voice; "I don't like it, Hermione, you being with the person we've hated for six years, is my logic so hard to comprehend? He's evil, Mione, a Death Eater, you-know-who's own! I can't stand to see him near you! In my mind, it's only a matter of time before he hauls you off to a meeting of the Dark Lord's inner circle!"

Hermione was shocked. She hadn't realized there was this much going on "in Ron's mind" half the time, and she felt incredibly stupid for not seeing this when she was around. She stood aghast and stared at Ron, speechless. It was late, and Harry broke the uncomfortable silence by laying a hand on Ron's shoulder and saying; "Alright, guys, it's late, let's just all go to sleep and maybe we won't be trying to bite each other's heads off in the morning. For this comment, Hermione would be eternally grateful.

Still later that night, she lay in bed and contemplated the recent events. It was true, she didn't hang around Harry and Ron much anymore, most of her out-of-class time, studying or otherwise, was spent with Draco in the library or on the grounds. And when her worlds did intersect, Draco smirked, Harry's eyes were always cold, and Ron looked at her love with narrowed eyes, suspicious, as if he would swallow her up whole any second. She felt guilty for deserting her best friends, but Draco made her so happy in a new and beautiful way, she never wanted it to go away. His presence calmed her, soothed her nerves, let her breath again when she got tense. That was it, she decided, ironically. She would have to speak to Draco.

* * *

One afternoon not long after that night, Hermione and her Slytherin love walked the grounds after finishing their work. Draco held Hermione close, his arm around her lower back. She loved his touch, and it sometimes still made her blush, even after two months of a passionate physical relationship. Sensing what she was thinking, he had a way with that, he brought his hand slowly down around her back and rubbed calming circles into the place above her hip. His touch made her blush, and giggle, and then blush some more on account of the giggling. She looked up at him, his eyes burned with love and want, and they smiled. Draco looked around. Many other boys were practicing Quidditch a ways away, and the girls were mostly inside, as it was slightly cold out in the early spring air.. gently turned her to face him, their eyes inches away. He placed a hand on her lower back, and brought one long arm languidly up around her neck. She saw it coming, and yet it couldn't come fast enough. He crushed her against him, and kissed her, and they fell back on a grassy hill. The grass was wet, and left droplets sparkling in Draco's blonde hair like round crystals. As they kissed, Draco purred sweet words to her, and the things he said drove her passion. Draco was dominant, and Hermione's hands, when not plundering Draco's beautiful body, were made wet by the grass. Draco kissed her neck and the hollow above her shoulder blade. His hot breath tickled her skin, and she shivered. Seeing her reaction, her pleasure, he showered her neck, jaw, and lips with passionate kisses. He placed her arms around his neck and tightened his hold on her. She promptly moved her hands to his chest, pressing against him, not pushing him away but straining to get closer. Her wet hands soaked through his white shirt, and she stroked his hard, sculpted chest, gasping between loving kisses from the boy whose body she wanted so badly at that moment, it drove her nearly insane. He wanted what she wanted, she could feel her theory confirmed through his pants as she lay on top of him on the lawn. _Someday _she thought _someday, as soon as we're given the chance, it will happen. _And she wanted it. And he knew.

**Updates coming as soon as possible, R//R please, click the button, seriously!**


	2. Chapter 6

Chapter 6.

"Yes, oh Draco, of course I will! I love you!" She clutched him to her and kissed him lovingly. Their passion escalated, and just as Hermione began to gasp and want more of Draco above all else, he pulled away. He chuckled and smiled his beautiful smile and Hermione got caught up in staring into his liquid silver eyes, and he whispered "Excellent!" into her ear. It was what she had nervously anticipated all these months, Draco's proposal her and Draco were finally getting married! The engagement ring was the most beautiful (and awfully extravagant) item she had ever seen. It was a splendid thing, with six large, sparkling diamonds, arranged in a sort of flower pattern, and the diamond in the center was a brilliant magically-conjured turquoise color. The stones were set elaborately in white gold, bright and shiny. On the inside, the words "To the future Mrs. Hermione Jean Malfoy, I love you more than anything in this world or the next" were engraved in tiny glowing letters that should've be impossible to read, but were forever burned into Hermione's mind, along with the memory of Draco murmuring the sentiment into her ear, his voice silk smooth. And then, she remembered, he had held her tight against his chest, kissed her hair, and stroked her back as she cried with joy.

Being the detail oriented individual that she was, Hermione began planning every trivial thing having to do with their upcoming early June wedding. It was take place in the Great Hall, with the entire school present. Hermione, at first, resented this, but Dumbledore insisted that the whole school must witness the beautiful day. Eventually, Hermione became so immersed in smaller details of the celebration, she learned to accept and even be proud of the number of witnesses to her and Draco's confirmed love.

Ginny and Luna took Hermione dress shopping. On the night of the proposal, Draco had presented Hermione with, not only the glorious ring (and the even more glorious declaration of his love for her), but also a lavish sum of money meant for her dress. "Although I'd take you in dishrags, I can't imagine how you could possibly be more stunningly lovely, so I am excited to see what this yields!"

Out of guilt at Draco's generosity, Hermione picked a simple V-neck halter dress that was priced slightly lower than the more elaborate ensembles, confident that she could magically embellish it to her (not to mention Ginny and Luna's) liking. Ginny and Luna felt no guilt, they were only giddy at the prospect of spending a large sum of "Malfoy's money". Hermione chastised them and turned down countless grand, overpriced gowns, refusing to even try on most of them.

Back at Hogwarts, Ginny, Luna and Hermione spent hours magically "redesigning" the simple dress. Ginny suggested bringing the hem up, and when she demonstrated her thoughts, Hermione blushed scarlet and quickly vetoed the idea. She had been raised conservative and hated showing too much skin. The other girls, however, INSISTED that the neckline be lowered "just a tad". They convinced Hermione of this when she reluctantly tried on the dress. She had to admit, she looked amazing, and the neckline wasn't so terrible. The creative trio also added a red sash with a bow under the bust line of the dress (Hermione had to hod on to her Gryffindor pride somehow, the girls had given her incredulous looks when she suggested charming the sash dark green to match her fiance's accessories (tie, pocket kerchief, et cetera). A lace layer was placed over the silk of the original dress, giving it an airy look. The finished dress was a thing of beauty, and Ginny courteously conjured a sparkling tiara, filmy veil, and white shoes. The shoes made Hermione endlessly nervous as she considered the dangerously high heels. Ginny assured her she would make her practice walking in them so that she wouldn't fall on the way to the alter.

Draco's wedding attire consisted of a lovely (and very expensive-looking) gray suit that matched his mercury eyes, dark green accents and a stark white shirt underneath. His dress shoes gleamed black. The first time Hermione viewed him dressed like this, she could barely contain herself. Desire won, Draco's shirt ended up thrown across the floor and the lovers were locked in a passionate embrace, Hermione's hands explored Draco's smooth chest and back longingly. His hot, sweet tongue probed inside her mouth, and she kissed back, nipping playfully at his lower lip, setting a small moan free on his lips. As always, as their desire peaked, they pulled away, always stopping when they wanted most to continue. Despite various Hogwarts rumors concerning Draco's past love life, Hermione found that his virtue was pure,

Numerous times Draco had tried to persuade her to show him her wedding ensemble, he was dying to see it. His methods of persuasion, she decided, should be made illegal, placed on the blacklist of some pre-marriage rulebook. His eyes burned into her when she looked at him. He pleaded and begged. He whispered his desperate pleas in her ear in his silky, seductive voice. When words failed, he resorted to physical contact. Draco pressed soft, open mouthed kisses up and down Hermione's neck and jaw, He licked along her collarbone and kissed the hollow at the base of her neck. Draco held her softly around the hips or waist, and moved his hands downward or back to her bum when he felt the argument was close to won. She, however stunned, was determined to uphold tradition, and did not submit, though her body told her trite things like a dress didn't matter at the moment. Every time, she would pull away reluctantly from his delicious kisses, smile, and shake her head, and Draco would shake his head back, give one last attempt to persuade her with his eyes, and say "Oh well, next time then." And Hermione would smile because she knew "next time" was coming soon.

As the wedding neared, Hermione began to get on Draco's case about his share of the wedding details. He surprised her one night while they cuddled, and he said "I'm going to ask Potter to be my best man, that's alright with you, right love?"

Well of course it was alright with her! Her question was, would it be alright with Harry? She felt very guilty about neglecting her earliest friends at Hogwarts, and she could tell they felt alienated by the obscene amount of time she had been spending with Draco. She then realized Draco was actually waiting for a response, his beautiful, quizzical stare broke her reverie.

"Oh, sure, of course it's all right! That's wonderful Draco! But i have to say, I'm very surprised!"

"I figured you would be," he said, chuckling "and as much as I don't care for Potter, Crabbe or Goyle wouldn't exactly be an adequate replacement, now would they? And surely you understand my aversion to Weasely? Therefor, Potter seemed the best candidate. And I figure he will accept, for your sake at least."

"Good luck asking him," Hermione said wonderingly.

"Something tells me I won't need luck as much as you think" he said, sounding rather self confident.

The following day, in the hallway after Potions, Draco and Hermione approached Harry and Ron. The boys nodded cordially in Hermione's direction, even smiling, but their expressions hardened a bit as they turned back to Draco.

"Potter, I have a favour to ask you" Draco said confidently.

"And what would that be, Malfoy?" said Harry incredulously, a wary look in his green eyes.

" I would like to request that you serve as my best man at the wedding, and I implore you to accept, for Hermione's sake, and honestly, mine as well. My alternatives are Crabbe and Goyle. Surely you see my predicament."

Harry thought a moment, picturing a bumbling Crabbe messing up the wedding party by tripping, or burping in the middle of the vows. For Malfoy, he laughed at this, but he imagined Hermione's mortification if something of this sort happened at the wedding she had so meticulously planned. He pitied her.

"Alright Malfoy, I'll be your best man, see you at the wedding." Harry said seriously and somehow nonchalantly at the same time.

"Thank you--Harry." Draco said.

With this, Harry said a friendly goodbye to Hermione, motioned to Ron, who nodded also, (he was still a bit sour over the whole thing) and the boys turned about face and left.

"Well, that went well, I would say."

Draco and Hermione walked calmly to their next class, not saying much, both felt that something large had just been accomplished.


	3. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The day had arrived, Draco and Hermione's wedding day was upon them! Hermione was practically sick with, nervousness, joy, and even sadness. She knew Harry and Ron, especially Ron, did not at all approve of this marriage, but she felt it was right for her, and that she must forge forward with this life-changing choice. Still she felt sad, in a way, she wished Harry and Ron would be happy for her. _They'll learn to accept us eventually _she thought hopefully. There was another thing on Hermione's mind. Her parents. Since their tragic divorce several years ago, Hermione hadn't spoken much to her dad, but she sent word of the engagement and the wedding date. Of course neither parent could attend, and it was just as well, as it surely would have been quite awkward, that Hermione's dad was busy with his latest tramp, and her mother was sadly sick with a fever and stomach virus.

It was late afternoon, the wedding would take place as the sun was setting over Hogwarts. The feast would commence, with special wedding dishes prepared, and cake, of course, then the four House tables would be cleared away for the reception and dancing. Ginny, the maid of honor, helped Hermione get ready, she and Luna were already dressed in their deep red bridesmaids' dresses, and Hermione put Harry, Ron, and her parents out of her mind and focused on making herself as beautiful as possible for her Draco. After she had dressed in her gown, stockings, and garter, Ginny presented her with four wedding gifts.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" she recited the timeless wedding gift sentiment as she placed the gifts on the table one by one. The first gift (the "something old") was a wreath of small, white, silk flowers to attach to her veil; "They were my mothers" Ginny said "I couldn't find anything older".

"Ancient" said Hermione nervously, and they laughed.

Next, the "something new". This one was wrapped in silver paper, tied with pretty white ribbon. It was rectangular, and Hermione could immediately guess what it was: "A book?" she asked with a smile "You know me so well!" She laughed. "Open it", said Ginny excitedly. Hermione slowly untied the ribbon and removed the silver paper without ripping it. Inside the package was indeed, a book. The title read Handy Household Hexes, Potions, and Spells by Beatrice Langstrum. (Hermione's stomach jumped a little at this woman's name as she realized how closely it resembled _Bellatrix Lestrange. _ She quickly put this out of her mind and smiled.)

"Practical" said Hermione approvingly "thank you Ginny!"

,

Next, Luna, who had just finished with Hermione's makeup and hair, cut in and said "Me next!", and handed Hermione the last two gifts on the table. "Ginny here, trying to take all the bloody credit. " she said as she beamed and watched Hermione open the "something borrowed". This gift was a silver charm bracelet with a lion charm, for Gryffindor. Hermione looked at Luna questioningly, and she answered Hermione's question: "I 'borrowed' it from Lavender Brown" she said, smiling.

"It's beautiful, thank you, and thank Lavender too, when you see her" said Hermione sincerely.

"Open the last one now" said both girls excitedly, and they shot each other a knowing, conspiratorial look, which made Hermione nervous.

Hermione opened the last gift, wrapped in the same silver paper and white bow. It was contained in a flimsy, white, cardboard box like the ones she would open at Christmas when her Mum bought her clothes. Something about the girls' facial expressions, the mischievous glints in their eyes, made Hermione hesitant to find out what was inside. Still she slowly lifted the lid to the flat, rectangular box, and removed several layers of white tissue paper. When the gift was uncovered, she gasped, blushed, and looked up at her friends, who immediately burst out laughing. Through fits of giggles, Ginny said "Happy…wedding day….Hermione! That's…from both…from both of us!" Hermione lifted the garment from the box, still shocked. It was a silk sleeping gown, of a deep royal blue color, low cut, with lace around the cleavage area. Hermione blanched as she held it up against herself and realized that it only reached down to a little past her hips. She blushed scarlet again and whispered to the vanity mirror "You've gone completely batty, haven't you?" The question, she guessed, was really meant for Ginny and Luna. Then, suddenly, she too burst out laughing. Hermione looked at her friends, who now looked concerned, while still oppressing giggles. "You two are completely batty!" she screeched, a statement this time "Where the bloody hell am I supposed to wear this?"

"Your honeymoon, silly!" said Ginny laughing, "Draco will love it, try it on for us!"

"Absolutely not! Hermione said, and she contemplated her chances of successfully chucking the wretched item into the wastebasket across the room. Ginny saw her thought process, and stopped her; "Oh, no you don't!" she said, and she pressed the garment into Hermione's hand and pushed her into the large mahogany wardrobe in their room and locked the door. "We're not letting you out until you try the bloody gown ON!" she yelled to Hermione.

Hermione was reluctant to wear the scandalous thing, but she so did not want to miss her wedding, which was scheduled to take place in no more than two hours. So she stripped quickly out of her wedding dress, hung it against the door on the hook, and closed her eyes as she changed into the nightgown.

Eyes still closed, she turned to the full length mirror hanging against the back wall of the wardrobe. She snapped her eyes open, and was taken aback by the image of herself in the mirror. With her makeup and hair done, her face was beautiful. Her eyes surveyed the gown on her slight frame. The blue silk hugged her hips, and the lace teasingly concealed her cleavage, which appeared nicely lifted by the structure of the garment. She turned and tried to get a view of her backside in the mirror. The silk was skintight against it, she had to admit the entire garment flattered her shape perfectly. She felt…sexy, which was new to her. Unsettled a bit by this, she whirled, took a deep breath. and knocked on the door for the girls to let her out.

"Are you dressed?" yelled Ginny.

"Barely" called Hermione sarcastically.

"Took you long enough" said Ginny, and she finally opened the door.

Hermione walked shyly out of the wardrobe, smiling and blushing. Her friends gasped. "Oh Hermione, just look at you!", Luna gushed, "Once Draco sees you in this, it won't be on for long!" she said, laughing, making Hermione blush deeper. Ginny simply sat and smiled, smug, pleased with herself for forcing Hermione out of her realm of comfort. Again.

"Alright, alright, that's enough of this, I have to get married in little more than an hour!" said Hermione, as she turned and marched back into the wardrobe. She quickly changed back into her wedding dress, tweaked her makeup and hair a bit, walked out of the wardrobe, and commenced pacing nervously over the room in her white deathtrap spike heel shoes, as Luna and Ginny smiled and tried, to no avail, to calm her.

All too soon, and still not soon enough, there came the sound of a knock on the door. Hermione called out, her voice shaky: "Come in?!" She hadn't meant it as a question, but it came out that way in her nervousness. The door opened, it was Harry, who had also agreed to walk her down the aisle to her awaiting husband-to-be, in addition to being Draco's best man, for these things Hermione would be forever grateful. He was dressed in a black tux, rented from a shop in Diagon Alley, with a black bow tie and dress shoes just like Draco's.

"It's time" he said, motioning her out the door.

She glanced at her bridesmaids, who smiled and motioned her away, Ginny stepped forward, hugged her, and whispered "Good luck" to Hermione, and Luna did the same.

"Seriously. guys, we need to go, now!" said Harry. As they walked together to the Great Hall, she heard Dumbledore requesting silence, and the start of the ceremony. Suddenly, Harry whirled and looked at Hermione right in front of the giant double doors to the Great Hall. He grasped her shoulders forcefully and said in a strained, quiet voice "I don't like this, Hermione, but I want you to know, I will support you, I will still be your friend, and Ron will come around eventually. Just…just be happy okay? And don't let him talk you into anything!" He laughed nervously, hoping she understood what he meant.

"Okay, Harry, I promise!" Hermione hugged him and held back tears. He felt her shudder, crying.

"Stop, 'Mione, stop, you're getting married, Mal--I mean Draco--doesn't want to see you cry on your wedding day!"

"Too bad" she said shakily as a few tears escaped her big, bright, chocolate brown eyes. "But, you're right, I mustn't disappoint Draco today."

She tried to stop her tears, and dry her face. The wedding march began thundering through the castle, though there was no organ in the room. Hermione tried to remember what she knew about wedding dynamics, she linked arms with Harry, counted to three, and began marching (as well as she could in her heels) to the beat of the wedding music.

The aisle that was cleared down the middle of the Hall seemed impossibly long, and she suddenly longed to be in Draco's arms, to have the awkward march over and done with. Before she knew it, she had reached the altar. She stepped up and Harry placed her hand in Draco's smooth, outstretched palm. Her engagement ring glittered in the bright lights. She glanced up at the enchanted celling, which glowed softly, orange, pink, peach and purple in the sunset. Hermione beamed at Draco, who looked like he was going to either snog her passionately on the spot, explode with happiness, or both. She smiled at the thought, and he smiled back.

Dumbledore (who had just happened to become certified as a priest just in time for the wedding?) began the traditional wedding vows speech, Hermione tuned out staring at Draco's lovely face, it all seemed unreal. She was brought back to Earth when Draco suddenly said "I do" and placed the gold wedding band on her left ring finger. She listened to Dumbledore, everything seemed as if it was going in slow motion. Somewhere that sounded far away, as she gazed into Draco's burning, ecstatic, liquid silver, beautiful eyes, she heard _"And do you, Miss Hermione Jean Granger, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" _

_"I do!" _she said through the coming tears.

Next, Dumbledore asked the assembly of students if anyone knew of any reason she and Draco should not be wed, and she prayed that Ron would not raise his hand and make a fool out of himself. He did not. She exhaled. And then she heard, abruptly, "You may now kiss the bride."


	4. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The slow motion feeling stopped. She saw nothing, felt nothing, heard nothing that was not Draco. Happiness rang in her ears, her mind swam. Draco had clutched her shoulders, kissing her mouth fully, his hot breath in her mouth. His tongue rimmed her lower lip, she forgot there were four hundred plus people watching them. She loved Draco, and he loved her, there was no denying that, and now it was official, confirmed, she was spending the rest of her life with him. The thought made her smile under his kiss, and then she was aware that there was much snickering coming from the audience, particularly the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. She reluctantly pushed him away gently, whispering, "Stop, love, later, yes?" He smiled, and Dumbledore laughed quietly, beholding the two young lovers. He declared Hermione and Draco husband and wife once more, and dismissed the assembly for the reception, the tables were magically cleared and then they vanished, in their place there was suddenly a dance floor, DJ equipment, and several smaller, round tables clothed in white, to which the students dispersed of their own accord. The speakers and music player were charmed, and they began playing a slow, sweet song for Draco and Hermione's first dance. He led her onto the floor, stood in the center as the song began, and held her in his strong arms. She felt safe, everyone else that was standing near the walls, watching them dance, they all faded away again, and it was just her and him once more. He looked down at her, his eyes like molten metal, soft and warm. He held her, and they danced in wide circular patterns. She vaguely noticed that he was a wonderful dancer and that he loved to lead. She let him, because she had no other choice unless she wished to humiliate herself on this perfect day. So she let him lead her in their dance, blissfully happy in his arms. And then, as the song ended, he kissed her full on the mouth once more, bringing small envious gasps and sighs from the mouths of the girls watching from the walls. She abruptly realized that virtually any girl in the room with her now would give almost anything to be in her place. This made her even happier, and she clutched her love tighter. He pulled away from their kiss, much to her dismay, and at her facial expression, he laughed lightheartedly and whispered, "Mrs. Hermione Jean Malfoy…I love the sound of that, and I love you, and I love this!" And he kissed her thoroughly again.

By this time, the first dance was well over, there were other couples on the floor now, twirling happily around the room to a more upbeat waltz. She caught Ginny's look of pure happiness as she whirled and twirled in Harry's arms. Ron, she noticed however, stood alone against the wall, drinking what appeared to be a large mug of butterbeer. His eyes were sad, she could guess why, and she pitied him. She broke away from Draco, saying "Excuse me a minute love, I have to go remedy a small problem."

"Whatever you say, 'Mione dear, but I must say, I couldn't be happier."

She headed purposefully in Ron's direction. When she arrived to face him, two feet away, he looked up and his eyes brightened slightly.

"Hi "Mione!", he said, trying too hard to appear as joyous as she was, "sick of the blonde bloke yet?" he joked, but she could see that he kind of meant it.

"No, silly." she replied, trying to keep the mood light "but I just happened to catch a look at a certain red-headed _bloke", _she emphasized "that appeared in desperate need of a dance partner! What d'you say? May I have this dance?" She held out her hand and he took it hesitantly. She led him quickly onto the dance floor where couples were swaying to another slow song. She placed her hands on the back of Ron's neck and he put his gingerly on her waist. They swayed, in time with the music mostly, but Ron was not as good a dancer as Draco, and she could see he was more than a bit drunk from all the butterbeer he had downed. Suddenly, he stopped dancing abruptly, grabbed her shoulders roughly, and spoke a little too loudly for the current atmosphere, the boy had terrible timing, as just then the song ended, and there was that awkward moment of silence before the beginning of the next one, in which he said "Merlin Hermione, I can't stand this! How could you marry him? Him, Draco Malfoy!" He jabbed a finger in Draco's direction, he had been standing nearby and now moved towards Hermione, taking a protective stance. "How could you do that to me?!" He almost screamed the words, he was drunkenly and angrily ranting now, and he whirled back to Hermione, and soundly slapped her across her left cheek. Draco was there instantly, his wand drawn and pointed at Ron, inches from Ron's throat. Draco, having grown up in an abusive home, still had strong emotional reactions to witnessing a woman being struck, especially one for whom he cared so deeply. He spoke through gritted teeth:

"Don't you _dare _touch her, Weasel, ever again, do you understand me? And if you do I'll hex you in a second, don't think I'm kidding!" Draco said, his volume gradually increasing with each word. He was angry now, and Ron turned and stumbled angrily and drunkenly away from the pair. Hermione was now crying softly from the trauma of the experience. Draco pulled her against his chest and stroked her hair and shushed her quietly as they stood among the people now dancing to an unfittingly upbeat popular song.

* * *

Later, as the reception danced on into the night, Hermione, uncharacteristically for her, had had a few more drinks than was necessary in an attempt to regain her earlier happiness. It seemed to be working for the time being. At the moment, she was dancing with Draco, to a fast, hypnotic techno song. She pressed up against his body, and ground into him hotly. She giggled and smiled alluringly when she felt something grow and harden against her touch. Draco, who had also not skimped on the firewhiskey, noticed too, smiled, and kissed Hermione's neck. The Great Hall had grown dark, except for the sudden emergence of a set of brightly colored strobe lights., so not many people saw what was going on. Draco took advantage of this situation, running his pale hands down from her neck to her hips. He kissed, his lips hot, down her neck to her chest, and kept going. His lips ran over the place where her cleavage was slightly visible due to the (lowered) V-neck cut of her dress. She loved the feel of his lips on her skin, his breath skimming over her exposed cleavage as he laughed and kissed and touched her. Her hands wound knots in his gold hair, and she kissed his mouth and stroked his chest through his suit. If the song never ended, at that moment, Hermione felt as if she wouldn't care.


	5. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Draco and Hermione left late the next afternoon, for their honeymoon, to take place in Malfoy Manor. Hermione took forever bidding goodbye to Harry, hugging him and wishing him a good summer, and she even gave Ron an awkward one-armed embrace, he didn't speak much, he was still drowning in guilt from the drunken incident at the wedding. Hermione had had no choice but to forgive him. After all, he was one of her best friends, as infuriating as he could be sometimes, and he _had_ been under the influence of quite a bit of butterbeer. Draco, however, was not so quick to forgive, and frankly, it was ruining Hermione's mood. As they prepared to Apparate to Malfoy Manor, he scowled and stayed quiet. Hermione was excited, all she wanted was for Draco to share her happiness, they had just gotten married for Merlin's sake! She tried to distract him. Since the had danced to the hypnotic music at the wedding, Hermione had become physically bolder. She whispered things in his ears as she kissed his face and neck. These things made him smile, but it was fleeting, and Hermione quickly became exasperated.

"Merlin, Draco! Would you let it go? It's okay, Ron didn't know what he was doing. He didn't hurt me badly, and I've forgiven him! Won't you?"

Draco was silent, and then spoke:

"I'm sorry, love, I know I must be spoiling your happy mood, Weasley just infuriated me so!"

"Well, please try to smile love, we're going to the Manor for our honeymoon! My new home! I'm excited" she said with a flirty, mischievous smile.

"Yes" he said smiling. He placed an arm around her waist, held both their suitcases in the other hand, which had been shrunk to size by magic, but held all their possessions, and they Apparated, with a loud CRACK! like a pistol shot.

**AN: Sorry it's so short, some naughty stuff (hence the 'mature' rating... ;]) coming in Chapter 10....**


	6. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The couple abruptly arrived in the entrance foyer of Malfoy Manor. Hermione beamed and looked around in wonderment. The ceilings were high, supported by big, white, granite pillars. The floor was tiled in dark green. There were large, ornately framed window panes on the walls, against one wall was a small sitting nook near one of these large windows. She was stunned into stillness, and Draco pulled her gently along to some of the rooms branching off from the main foyer.

There was a sitting room with large, comfortable chairs upholstered in green or black velvet, or expensive, soft suede or leather. There was a large, old, stone fireplace in this room, though no flames danced in it at the moment. The next room was a library. Upon entering here, Hermione gasped. Tall, mahogany bookshelves reached from floor to ceiling. _So many books!_ she thought in delight, and knew that she'd be spending quite a good deal of time here. Another room was for dining, it housed a large, shiny, glass-topped, redwood table that dominated the room, circled with high backed, elegant, black chairs. And more windows. The whole back wall of the room was paned glass. Sunlight streaked through the panes, and if Hermione caught the light at the right angle, she could see motes of dust floating in the air. The room was warm and tranquil, empty like that, but she assumed that she would someday entertain large crowds in this house. She smiled at the thought and Draco pulled her to him and kissed her hair and said, "Welcome home, my sweet Hermione. Come now, upstairs, there's more for you to see of your new home."

He led her up the spiral stairs. She'd always loved spiral stairs, but never dreamed of having them in her own home. When they reached the top, she found herself staring into an ornately framed full-length mirror. Draco still wore a white shirt and dark green silk tie. Hermione wore a pretty lace and cotton white top, black layered skirt and stockings, like she was going to sing in a professional choir. Draco led her down a long, carpeted corridor to a room with big, oak, double doors affixed to which was a gold plaque reading, _Master Suite._

_'"_Our bedroom" he spoke smoothly and smiled.

He opened the door with a flourish, picked her up, and carried her in the spacious room.

"Since we Apparated here, I didn't have a chance to follow _tradition", _he sneered the word cutely, and she remembered his desperate pleas and her refusal to reveal her wedding ensemble, "and lift you over the threshold," he explained. She laughed as he placed her gently on her back on the large, plush bed they would share from this day on. She glanced around the room excitedly, noticing once more that the entire east wall was glass, providing a lovely view of the sunset, which burned orange in the sky over the vast and well-groomed lawns of the estate. In front of her stood a set of white double doors, which led to a walk in wardrobe. She entered it, and noticed, to her surprise, that along with Draco's clothes, there hung a few garments, obviously meant for her. An evening dress of red satin, another sleeping gown, and, causing her to blush scarlet and giggle uncontrollably, a black lace lingerie pairing, on a white, plaster, bust-and-torso mannequin. She barked a laugh, and went to touch the things, wondering how on earth his father would've reacted if he had happened to enter this wardrobe before they had arrived. This made her laugh more, which prompted Draco to knock on the wardrobe doors. "Come in love!" she called through her giggles. He opened the door hesitantly and smiled. She caught his eye and "What on earth is all this? You have bloody mannequins in your closet!" motioning to the female attire. He laughed quietly and nodded and said "You like them? I figured you wouldn't own many fine gowns, no offense meant to you of course, and as for the sleeping clothes and, ah, this lovely little number over here", he said, motioning to the embarrassing lingerie, "I just thought I'd love the look of them on you. Bugger humiliating to purchase though, as you can imagine, so I _really" _his eyes became intense, his smile alluring, "hope we can get some use out of them, hmm?" She noticed how he used the "we" plural, and knew what he meant when he referred to them "using" the items. _More like ripping them off of me as soon as you see me, Draco love_, she thought. She found that the thought, or the mental images it produced, did not frighten her, she felt ready to give herself to him. It _was _getting dark, and she suddenly felt the need to touch him, to be touched by him. She blushed, and he sensed what she felt, and felt the same. He scooped her up again, and laid her back on the bed gently, on her back, as before. He flicked his wand discreetly, murmured an incantation, and the lights dimmed, and what seemed like a hundred candles, which she hadn't noticed before, became softly lit. He crawled on to the bed and growled softly, straddling her hips with his long legs. His touch and the feel of his warm body against her gave her chills. Feeling her shiver, he chuckled and kissed her open-mouthed on the lips and moved soon to her neck. She moaned and shivered again, in pleasure now, and struggled a bit under his strong hold to add to his arousal. She felt his cock grow hard again and she smiled, and struggled more. Both the lovers began to breathe faster, Hermione struggled and Draco held her down forcefully, yet gently and whispered silkily in her ear, "Relax, love, it is my first time as well, I will make it good for you. He sighed and she moaned as he slid her skirt and then her stockings down to her ankles, and she kicked them off onto the floor. She could feel his erection through his slacks and he rubbed up against her. They moaned in mutual pleasure and she shivered again.

He began undoing the buttons of her white blouse and said "Sorry to make you so cold, my love, but this is rather necessary. She returned the favor, quickly unbuttoning Draco's shirt, but skillfully leaving his tie loosely around his neck, anticipating erotic activities. He reached down, and unbuckled his belt, accidentally brushing his hard-on, and hissing in pleasure. He removed his belt and slipped out of his slacks. Hermione lay below him in just her lingerie, and he lay on top of her in his boxers, his cock was hard against her womanhood. He reached around her, warming her body, and deftly unhooked her bra, which fell from the bed. He stroked her breasts and kissed her, his tongue intruding into her mouth, hot and wet. She was aroused, and the wetness from her womanhood soaked through her panties. Draco felt this, and kindly removed them for her, shedding his boxers as well. She gasped and marveled at his nakedness, stroking his chiseled abs and chest, and lean hips. He murmured another spell, and his hands were instantly coated with oil. He placed two oiled fingers inside of her, and Hermione moaned loudly and arched against him. Her legs fell open wider, and he added a third finger. The guttural cry of pleasure that escaped Hermione's lips was no less than animal, and it drove Draco on. Suddenly overcome with the passionate desire to pleasure her husband, Hermione boldly grabbed hold of Draco's cock and pumped him hard. He moaned and gasped in passion, and forced her to let go as he thrust up into her, entering her painlessly. He swallowed her lusty scream with his mouth, kissing her, bruising her lips, pulling at her hair. She whimpered in pain and pleasure. He pulled out and entered her again and again, swallowing her screams and concealing his own after each thrust, deeper and deeper inside of her each time. As her passion climbed towards her climax, Draco teased her, pulling out and entering her shallowly now, driving them both insane with want. He kept this up for what seemed like hours, it drove Hermione crazy, at one point, with her peak of pleasure so close, she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his tie and pulled his face to hers, kissing him frantically, pressing up and forcing him to thrust himself deep inside of her. They both reached their climax immediately and collapsed together, laughing as the pleasure overpowered them. They both became instantly exhausted, Draco summoned up enough energy to smooth the covers over their bodies, and they drifted quickly to sleep, Hermione tucked tightly against him.


End file.
